Lindsey Vonn's positive spin on super-G bronze

ALPINE SKIING

Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle

Published
4:00 am PST, Sunday, February 21, 2010

America's Lindsey Vonn rounding a gate on her way to a bronze medal in the Ladies Super-G at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Saturday, February 20, 2010. (Steve Ringman/Seattle Times/MCT) less

America's Lindsey Vonn rounding a gate on her way to a bronze medal in the Ladies Super-G at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Saturday, February 20, 2010. (Steve Ringman/Seattle ... more

Photo: Steve Ringman, MCT

Photo: Steve Ringman, MCT

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America's Lindsey Vonn rounding a gate on her way to a bronze medal in the Ladies Super-G at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Saturday, February 20, 2010. (Steve Ringman/Seattle Times/MCT) less

America's Lindsey Vonn rounding a gate on her way to a bronze medal in the Ladies Super-G at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Saturday, February 20, 2010. (Steve Ringman/Seattle ... more

Photo: Steve Ringman, MCT

Lindsey Vonn's positive spin on super-G bronze

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Lindsey Vonn didn't keep her pedal to the metal, and she figures it cost her the right color of medal in the Olympics super-G Saturday.

Still, all smiles afterward, she put a positive spin on taking the bronze after finishing less than a second behind the winner, Andrea Fischbacher of Austria. After all, Whistler's downhill queen was at least able to climb back on the podium following the header she'd taken in the super combined.

"It almost looks like a gold medal," Vonn said of her new prize, insisting she would hang them next to her bed "and cherish them equally" when she reflects back on these Winter Games.

And maybe she really means that. Despite leading the World Cup standings in four categories, the twice-defending overall champion arrived here in a terrible state, unsure if she would even be able to compete because of a horribly timed training injury.

Possessing a gold and a bronze after three events - even if they were three events she was favored to win, which would have been an unprecedented accomplishment for an American skier - is a palatable showing. Although the first week of the Games tested Vonn's mettle to the extreme, she believes she passed with flying colors.

Now, she'll ski loose and easy, hoping, she said, "I can come up with something miraculous. I'll cross my fingers and try to pull something out of the hat."

The remaining giant slalom and slalom aren't her favorite disciplines, so Vonn's collection on this Canadian sojourn is likely to stay at two. But that puts her in reasonably elite company as just one of 11 American skiers to own more than one medal. She's determined to keep things in perspective.

"Some of the expectations were pretty unrealistic," she said. "People were saying I was going to win five medals, but I never really bought into that. It was just hype. I'm a double medalist now and that's something to be proud of. Olympic medals are hard to come by."

Albeit less so for American skiers of late. The United States has been represented on all five Whistler podiums while collecting seven medals, its best-ever performance. The chase continues today with the men's super combined, with Bode Miller seeking his third here and fifth overall. With four, he's already the American record-holder among Alpine skiers.

On Wednesday, Julia Mancuso goes off as the giant slalom defending champion. Mancuso had won silver in her first two races but slipped to ninth in the super-G. By her own admission, Mancuso croaked coming through what's called the Frog's Bank, a tricky, sweeping turn.

"That really cost me, that mistake," Mancuso said. "I knew when I crossed the finish line I blew it."